First produce from the Polytunnel!

Just over a couple of weeks after putting the tunnel up it’s beginning to pay dividends. The first harvests today were one cucumber (Miniature White – OK it’s only a couple of inches long, but the clue’s in the name!) and three gherkins (one Paris Pickling and one Bimbostar, and one unlabeled but it’s one of those two! Fortunately Mrs D is a big fan of pickled cucumbers and gherkins, so if anyone has a recipe feel free to share ;>)

 

Paris Pickling

Miniature White

Elsewhere in the tunnel…

First Hungarian Hot Wax chilli forming

First tomato – Costolutu Fiorentino

Is that a decent cage for the brassicas I see?

Yes, I believe it is! For the first time ever I’ve finally built a cage that is tall enough, pinned down all the way around it and leave room for me to get in and out of it. It is now full of Flower Sprouts and Purple Sprouting Broccoli – although quite which is which is a bit of a mystery due to a bit of a labelling mix up. There’s still room at the side of the cage for a few Brussels plants I’ve got to go in as well.

Harvest Time!
Despite my ongoing battles with the mice, I think I’m getting more than they are at last and am hoping to make some jam from them too. The potatoes (Charlottes) are coming thick and fast, as are the salad leaves (beetroot, Little Gem and Romaine Ballon – I’m just picking off the young leaves rather than picking the whole lettuce, which is a tactic that is working really well). Not getting the variety I’d like but I’ve got a lot more mixed salad leaves on the go and a couple more types of lettuce, but it’ll be a couple of weeks before I start getting anything from them. Finally getting a few broad beans from plot no 2 (always a week or two ahead) but the plants on plot no 1 are looking much healthier with no signs of black fly yet or mouse attacks:

And it won’t be long before we’re having our first courgettes:

Flowers

No I know this can be a emotive issue, no names mentioned but you know who you are ;>) I however do like to find some room to grow some flowers for a number of reasons: firstly they can’t help to attract the pollinators and secondly I can pick them and take them home for the wife, saving me money at the florist and scoring me brownie points to make up for her being locked out whilst I was down on the allotment!

Foxgloves up on plot no 2

Cornflowers just beginning to come out on plot no 2. I have since picked a few to bring home and they do look stunning and went down very well.

More foxgloves and some carnations (hopefully ready soon) down on plot no 1

 

Finally, up in the pond (aka bath at the top of the plot) a frog was basking in the sun. Do frogs bask in the sun?

Oh and I’ve finally updated some of my blog links on the right hand side – apologies to many of you I’ve only just got round to adding a link to.